Mark Madden: Beating Titans earns credibility, but Steelers' 2nd-half collapse concerning

At halftime of Sunday’s game at Nashville, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed likely to win the Super Bowl, or at least be counted among the legit contenders.

But after those final 30 minutes and even at 6-0, it’s easy to still not be sure about the Steelers.

They beat an undefeated team on the road. That earns a lot of credibility.

But the Steelers were lucky to win. They played an atrocious second half, bailed out only by Tennessee kicker Stephen Gostkowski being washed up. If Gostkowski hits that very makeable 45-yarder, the game goes to OT with the Steelers wilting and the Titans buzzing.

What happened in the second half? Did the Steelers take their collective foot off the gas? After converting their first seven third downs, the Steelers were 6 for 11 after.

Why did Ben Roethlisberger force throws?

Why did Minkah Fitzpatrick turn clueless? The All-Pro safety was out to lunch on A.J. Brown’s 73-yard catch-and-run touchdown and took a holding penalty on fourth down to keep alive the final Titans touchdown drive.

The sloppiness wasn’t limited to the second half. The Steelers committed eight penalties. Roethlisberger threw three picks. The Steelers fumbled twice but were fortunate to lose neither. There were a few drops. A few of Roethlisberger’s passes got batted.

The Steelers had the ball for almost 37 minutes and still almost lost. They couldn’t put the game away, even when it seemed they had.

The Steelers are nonetheless a good bet to win at Baltimore despite opening as 5½-point underdogs. There’s a lot to be said for being the hot hand. The Steelers’ past two wins are against teams with a combined mark of 10-3. That’s after beating four straight bums.

If the Steelers beat the Ravens and get to 7-0, it’s realistic to look at 13 or 14 wins.

It’s tough to complain, or to doubt, but that second half makes both possible.

If you’d like to indulge the yinzplosion of optimism that should accompany 6-0, T.J. Watt continued burnishing his rep as the NFL’s most impactful defensive player with a sack, three tackles for loss and a QB hit.

Watt coming off the edge with intent was a big factor in containing Derrick Henry, who took a day off from impersonating Jim Brown to gain just 75 yards. Vince Williams weighed heavily in that equation with 10 tackles (two for loss), a sack and a QB hit. (But Bud Dupree, up against a backup tackle, disappeared: no tackles. Dupree didn’t get on the scoresheet at all.)

Robert Spillane didn’t stink and gave up his body to get cut in half by Henry on a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. But then Fitzpatrick gave Tennessee a new set of downs with his holding call, and the Titans scored anyway. It was shocking when Spillane returned to the game. It looked like his collarbone exploded on that collision.

James Conner had 111 yards from scrimmage. If this Steelers offense is better than the Le’Veon Bell/Antonio Brown version because it serves no individuals, Conner is key to that. If he gets hurt (like he often does), there’s no valid replacement.

The biggest mystery was Roethlisberger’s performance. After 5 1/2 games of peerless game management boosted by the occasional big throw, Roethlisberger turned into the gunslinger of old, and to no good effect. His intercepted throw into triple coverage that gifted Tennessee the late possession that led to Gostkowski’s missed field goal was inexplicable. Never mind how tough that pass is to make, there was just no reason to try.

Before tossing a Hail Mary interception to end the first half — which cued the Steelers’ overall semi-collapse — Roethlisberger was 17 of 24 for 160 yards and two touchdowns. After that, he was 15 of 25 for 108 yards and three picks. It was enough to make you quack.

What on earth got into Roethlisberger’s head?

Now, more than ever, it’s all about Roethlisberger. He is entitled to the occasional bad half, especially if the desired result is still achieved.

But wise quarterbacking has to support playmaking defense, and vice versa. Neither element was present in the second half at Nashville.

A repeat of that second half in either half at Baltimore is a death sentence. A missed field goal at the end won’t save the Steelers. The game will have long since been decided.